July 2016 – Page 5 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Pacers sign Aaron Brooks

The Pacers have signed veteran free agent point guard Aaron Brooks to a contract.

With Jeff Teague and Monta Ellis as the likely starters in the Pacers’ backcourt, and Rodney Stuckey usually getting big minutes off the bench, Brooks’ role will likely be minimal.

The 6-foot, 161-pound Brooks is an eight-year NBA veteran who has played with Houston, Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver and Chicago. He was a first-round pick (26th overall) of the Rockets in 2007 after playing collegiately at Oregon. Over his NBA career, he has averaged 10.7 points and 3.2 assists with his best season in 2009-10 when he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists with Houston. In 2010, he was the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

“Aaron is a proven point guard in the NBA,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He can create and shoot the three. He’s another scorer for our second unit who plays at a high level at both ends of the court.”

Mavericks sign Kyle Collinsworth

The Mavericks have signed free agent guard Kyle Collinsworth.

According to the Deseret News, it is a two-year, partially guaranteed contract.

Collinsworth (6-6, 210) recently competed for the Mavericks at Samsung NBA Summer League 2016 in Las Vegas. In six summer league games, he averaged 4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal in 15.3 minutes per contest.

A native of Provo, Utah, Collinsworth played four years at BYU and averaged 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 30.9 minutes per game in 140 games. He was a three-time First Team All-WCC selection (2014-16) and set the NCAA career triple-double record with 12.

As a senior for the Cougars (2015-16), Collinsworth averaged 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 33.8 minutes per game en route to being named the WCC Player of the Year. The 6-6 guard also tied the NCAA single-season triple-double record (set by himself in 2014-15) with six. He went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Rockets sign Chinanu Onuaku

The Rockets signed rookie forward/center Chinanu Onuaku (Chih-NAH-noo On-ooh-AH-koo) today.

According to the Houston Chronicle, it is a three-year, fully guaranteed deal.

Onuaku was selected by Houston with the 37th overall pick in the 2016 Draft.

Onuaku (6-10, 245) was an early entry candidate for the draft following his sophomore season at Louisville. He averaged 9.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks as a sophomore and shot 61.9% from the floor for his career. Onuaku was selected to the ACC All-Defensive team by both media and conference coaches in 2015-16 as well as earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors.

This past season, the 19-year-old ranked third in the ACC in blocks and had the second-most double-doubles (10) during conference play. Onuaku also helped the U.S. earn a gold medal at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship.

He will wear #21 for the Rockets.

Rockets sign Nene

The Rockets, who have a weak frontcourt and need any help they can get, have signed free agent center Nene (ne-Nay).

If the season began today, the team’s starting power forward may be Ryan Anderson. At center, it could be Nene, or young power forward Clint Capela.

Nene (6-11, 250) was originally the seventh overall pick by New York in the 2002 NBA Draft. In 14 NBA seasons with Denver and Washington, he has appeared in 804 games with 612 starts, while averaging 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.17 steals.

A member of the Brazilian national team set to compete in the Summer Olympics, Nene has the sixth-highest field goal percentage (.544) among active players and led the NBA in that category in 2010-11, shooting a career-high 61.5%. Over the past 10 seasons, Nene is the only player in the league to average at least 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 55.0% or better.

He will wear #42 for the Rockets.

Bulls sign Isaiah Canaan

The Bulls have signed guard Isaiah Canaan (CAN-none).

“We are excited to add Isaiah to our group,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “We feel his ability to knock down perimeter shots will be an asset to our team.”

A three-year veteran of the NBA, Canaan (6-0, 201) comes to the Bulls after spending the bulk of the last two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has also played for the Houston Rockets (2013-15). Last season with the Sixers, he appeared in 77 games (39 starts) and averaged a career-high 11.0 points, 2.3 boards and 1.8 assists in 25.5 minutes, and he shot .360 from the field, .363 from downtown and .833 from the line. Known for his outside shooting, he shot 176-485 from three last season, and his 176 3-pointers made ranked 15th in the NBA. In 2015-16, he was one of 11 players in the NBA who made four or more threes in at least 20 games.

For his career, Canaan has played in 146 contests (60 starts) and posted 9.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.6 minutes, and he owns career-shooting averages of .368 from the field, .363 from behind the arc and .818 from the free throw line. The 25-year old product of Murray State was originally drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Mavericks sign Quincy Acy

The Mavericks have signed free agent forward Quincy Acy.

Acy (6-7, 240) holds career averages of 4.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 15.3 minutes per game in 219 games (51 starts) with Toronto, Sacramento and New York. He averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 14.8 minutes per game in 59 games (29 starts) with the Kings last season.

Acy played four years at Baylor before being selected by Toronto with the 37th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. As a senior in 2011-12, he was named Second-Team All-Big 12 and earned Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors.

Born in Tyler, Texas, Acy went on to attend John Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas.

Acy will wear No. 4 for the Mavericks.

Timberwolves sign Jordan Hill

The Timberwolves have signed forward/center Jordan Hill.

Hill, 28, spent this past season in Indiana with the Pacers averaging 8.8 points, on 50.6 percent shooting, and 6.2 rebounds in a career-best 73 games played. Hill averaged 10.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 11 starts and scored in double figures 20 times for the Pacers in 2015-16.

The 6-10 forward/center has played parts of seven seasons with Indiana, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston and New York. In 420 games, including 120 starts, Hill owns career averages of 8.0 points, on 49.7 percent shooting, and 5.9 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per contest. Hill’s best season came two years ago with the Lakers when he made a career-best 57 starts, totaling career-high averages of 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per contest. Hill was originally selected 8th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Knicks.

Clippers sign Brandon Bass

The Clippers have signed power forward Brandon Bass.

Bass, 31, joins the Clippers after spending last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 66 games (zero starts).

The 11-year NBA veteran has played in 706 career games (283 starts) with the New Orleans/OKC Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Lakers, averaging 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native has appeared in 58 playoff contests (35 starts) with Dallas, Orlando and Boston, averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24.2 minutes.

Originally drafted by the Hornets with the 33rd overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Louisiana State University, Bass finished his career as LSU’s third all-time leading shot blocker (104) while ranking eighth in the SEC in blocked shots. He spent two years at LSU, averaging 15.1 points 8.2 rebounds and 1.76 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game in 59 career games.

Nets sign guard Joe Harris

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Joe Harris to a multi-year contract.

“We are pleased to welcome Joe to the Nets family,” said General Manager Sean Marks. “We are confident that Kenny and his staff will continue to create an environment in which Joe and our other young players will develop and thrive.”

Harris (6’6”, 219) has appeared in 56 games in two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-16), averaging 2.5 points in 9.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in six games during the 2015 postseason. This past season, Harris saw action in five games with the Cavs and 10 games with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, registering averages of 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game with Canton. The 24-year-old underwent right foot surgery in January before being traded to Orlando and waived by the Magic. Harris was originally selected with the 33rd pick (second round) in the 2014 NBA Draft by Cleveland after a four-year career at the University of Virginia. At UVA, the Chelan, Wash. native earned All-ACC first-team honors as a junior and helped lead Virginia to two NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, Harris garnered All-ACC third-team recognition while leading the Cavaliers to their first ACC tournament title since 1976, first outright ACC regular season title since 1981 and first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995. He finished his collegiate career second in school history in three-pointers made (263) and three-point percentage (.407).

Suns sign Leandro Barbosa

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Leandro Barbosa, a 13-year NBA veteran who played eight of those seasons with the Suns, to a multiyear contract.

“Leandro has played a significant role on a number of very successful teams over the course of his career,” said General Manager Ryan McDonough. “‘LB’ is very popular with teammates and fans and we are thrilled to have him back as a key part of the Suns. We think he will contribute greatly to what we are building – on and off of the court – here in Phoenix.”

Barbosa returns to the Suns where he previously played his first seven professional seasons from 2003-2010, in addition to one season in 2013-14, averaging 12.4 points on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 39.6 percent from behind the three-point arc in 486 games. One of the most productive players in franchise history, he ranks third in Suns history with 716 three-point makes (trailing only Steve Nash and Dan Majerle), fifth with his 39.6 percent mark from three-point range, 12th by playing in 486 games and 15th with 6,024 total points wearing purple and orange.

The Brazilian Blur had his best statistical season with the Suns in 2006-07 as he won both the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and the Dan Majerle Hustle Award, averaging career-highs of 18.1 points and 4.0 assists. In his eight seasons with the Suns, Barbosa compiled 4,406 points in a reserve role, giving him the most career points off the bench by a Suns player since at least 1983-84 (as far back as such data is available). Additionally, Barbosa has averaged 10.2 points in 64 playoff games with the Suns, ranking seventh in franchise history for most playoff games and 12th by totaling 654 playoff points.

The 6-3, 194-pound speedster re-joins the Suns after spending the past two seasons as a key contributor with the Golden State Warriors, winning an NBA Championship in 2014-15 and helping the team set an NBA record with 73 regular season wins on the way to a Western Conference title in 2015-16. This past season, Barbosa averaged 6.4 points on 46.2 percent shooting in 15.9 minutes in 68 regular season games before posting 5.6 points on 58.0 percent shooting in 23 playoff games.

For his career, the 13-year veteran holds averages of 11.0 points and 2.2 assists, while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the free throw line in 783 games (112 starts) with the Suns (2003-10; 2013-14), Toronto Raptors (2010-12), Indiana Pacers (2012), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Warriors (2014-16). Barbosa has also averaged 8.0 points in 119 career playoff games, playing for a team that has advanced to at least the Conference Finals in five of his eight postseasons.

The 28th overall selection of the 2003 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Barbosa was initially acquired by the Suns in a trade on draft night. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Barbosa played professionally for Bauru in Brazil before joining the NBA. Barbosa has represented his home country at several international competitions, twice winning gold at the FIBA Americas Championship, and plans to again play for their national team later this summer as Brazil hosts the 2016 Olympic Games.

Barbosa will wear uniform No. 19